Easy Crème Caramel

This creme caramel recipe is such an easy French dessert to master! It’s a delicious baked custard dessert swimming in a sea of caramel sauce. It’s chilled overnight and then reversed onto a plate. It’s a great, easy dessert to make in the springtime and perfect for entertaining because the whole thing can be made the day before!

For more classic French desserts try my Easy Chocolate Eclair Recipe, Financier Recipe or my French Apple Cake recipe.

Crème Caramel vs. Flan

Crème Caramel is the “French version” of flan. But flan is made with sweetened condensed milk, whereas Crème Caramel is made with eggs, milk, and cream. Just to confuse things further, in France, we have a dessert called “flan,” but that is typically a custard tart baked in a pastry shell. Another great French custard dessert try my Far Breton.

Panna Cotta vs Crème Caramel

Panna Cotta is an Italian custard dessert that gets cooked on the cooktop, as opposed to baked. It also gets its structure from the addition of gelatin.

Ingredients:

• Granulated Sugar: You’ll need this for the caramel sauce and the custard. Avoid coarse, organic sugar; it doesn’t work as well as granulated white sugar.
• Water This gets added to the sugar so the caramel sauce will be pourable.
• Whole Milk Will add a more luxurious texture to the creme caramels.
• Heavy Cream Half milk and half cream will create the creamiest, most luxurious texture.
• Whole Eggs Use two whole eggs so the custards have a slightly jiggly texture.
• Egg Yolks But then add two egg yolks for a firmer structure.
• Vanilla Extract works better over vanilla beans for flavor without the specs of vanilla bean collecting at the bottom.
• Salt To boost the flavor of the vanilla.
• Baking Spray to spray on the ramekins and ensure an easy release once baked and chilled.

Step#1: Make the Caramel Sauce

• Dissolve the sugar and the water, and whisk. Set the pot on medium-high flame, and then don’t touch it!
• Swirl the pot around instead to keep in moving.
• It will boil and foam and look like this shot below.

How to Know When the Caramel Sauce is Ready?

There is a delicate balance between looking ready and burning! The sugar water should continue to depend in color until it’s the shade of dark rum. It helps to keep swirling, lifting the pot up and off the heat as needed to prevent burning until the desired color is achieved.

Step#2: Pour the Caramel in the Ramekins

• I’m using clear glass ramekins made to hold hot things. So make sure the ones you are using are oven-safe!
• Spray the ramekins with baking spray and then distribute the spray well on all sides of the ramekin with a pastry brush.
• Mine are from Duralex. It’s the 4.63 ounce size oven-safe ramekin.
• Distribute the caramel sauce equally among the ramekins and allow the caramel sauce to cool and set.

Step#3: Mix up the Egg Mixture

• While the milk/Cream mixture simmers to dissolve the sugar, you can whisk up the eggs.
• Be sure your bowl is heat-safe and large enough to hold at least 2 1/2 cups of milk and cream, along with the eggs.
• Add the warm, cream/milk mixture a little bit at a time to “temper” the eggs and prevent them from scrambling.
• Then, add the rest of the liquid to combine.
• The mixture should be strained through a fine mesh strainer to catch any solids, like bits of cooked egg or scaled milk.
• This will ensure a smooth and delicious custard!

Step#4: Fill the Ramekins and Bake

• Pull out the oven rack and place the ramekins in a roasting pan in the oven. This will become the vessel for the water bath, which will bake the custards in a slow, even heat which will add to their creamy, silky texture.
• Having the oven rack pulled out will make it easier to add the boiling water to the roasting pan.
• Bake at 325F (160C) for at least 40-50 minutes or until the custards jiggle slightly and are set.
• Do not overbake the custards or you’ll end up with tiny air bubbles along the side.
• Allow them to cool in the roasting pan, to continue to set. Then once the water is cool, transfer them to a cooling rack.
• Once cooled completely, refrigerate overnight for the best texture.

How to Reverse a Crème Caramel

• Insert a pairing knife in between the custard and the ramekin.
• Loosen the custard all the way around.
• Then place a plate on top of the ramekin. Shake it slightly to loosen (this is another reason why I like the glass ramekins because you can see when they are releasing and ready to be unveiled.
• Lift the ramekin up to release the custard and caramel sauce.